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[Updated] Princess Kate in Barbour at Robin Hood Primary School

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Kate made a visit to Robin Hood Primary School today to see the fruits of the students' participation in the Royal Horticultural Society's Campaign for School Gardening in London. It called for a casual and ensemble and Kate put together some absolute favorites for a really winning ensemble.

The Duchess is wearing a Barbour jacket and her Temperley London Honeycomb sweater. She has this sweater in cream and black, and it is one of her classics, and my favorites. This black one paired with soft, black skinnies and her Penelope Chilvers boots is the perfect classic casual Kate. The princess really loves those Lauren Leaf earrings from Kiki McDonough, and she is wearing them here today.

This video by Rebecca English is from the back where the press must have been standing, but you can hear Kate's remarks quite clearly, as she tells students her fond memories gardening and the skills she is trying to pass on to George and Charlotte. We did hear a few years ago that Kate grew potatoes and other vegetables at Anmer Hall, and it is fun to imagine them all in such a normal and down-to-earth (literally) environment.

Kate says she has fond memories of gardening as a child - and is handing that down to her own children. George and Charlotte pic.twitter.com/yS3LZDs1sr

A birthday celebration, which this was, of sorts, demands cake. I am just going to admit that I follow a million different cake decorators and wedding planners because I love cake decorating. I never do it myself, but I dream about it. Someday... Based upon my extensive "knowledge" of the industry, this shabby chic cake is super en vogue. :) I love the flowers all over it. It looks so good, too.

KP

Kate cut the cake, and I hope she had a bit, too.

Kate also got her hands dirty, today, as she spent time gardening with the kids. Her natural dialogue with them is different from her official presentations, and I imagine very much the way she talks seriously to little Charlotte and George.

In this photo you can see Catherine Quinn in the background. Kate also appears to have put on leather gloves...

This is a huge win for me. Not only did we get some old school Kate Middleton style, but I love when she reflects on the various projects and activities she does with her children, particularly something like gardening. I have lots of memories of watching my dad plant his tomatoes and sometimes getting my hands muddy, too, under his direction, or watching the beans slowly grow on the trellis by the back door until it was time to pick and eat them. Those are really happy memories and it's great to see Kate is working with the RHS to promote outdoor activities for youngsters in her London community, and that she is creating these experiences with her own kids.

William gave a statement about Harry & Meghan's engagement. I really like William. I think he is a great royal. He balances the job really well. He is personable and natural and comes up with clever comments that don't sound like a cliche. I also think sometimes he is too uptight about the press, but that's for another day. No one is perfect. Enjoy his cute comment:

sleek leather boots with a heel sounds a bit out of place for a children's garden, no? I definitely agree her hair is looking great longer. I'm not a major fan of the length in general, go long or go shorter. I find that that length isn't really flattering on most women.

Every time I hear her voice I remember just how pretty a one she has! She just seems like such a warm person - I saw a few other videos with her and the kids and she's so engaging and cute asking about their "mummies and daddies" and smiling and mucking about with them in the garden. Love it!

Love love love the coat and that sweater! Gorgeous! I definitely think this pregnancy has not been an easy one for her (especially with 2 little ones at home) but I admire her SO much for coming to these engagements and trying not to show how tiring it must be for her. She always looks happy to be wherever she is and is always engaging.

Love this look and this engagement! Kate + kids is always a win. The Lauren earrings are not my favorite. To me the leaves look like hearts. My favorites are the citrine teardrops from Kiki. I’ve been debating getting a pair for myself.

I love this Barbour on her. Very stylish. She looks wonderful and her little speech to the children was beautifully done. She seems a natural speaker and I think that's because she's sincerely interested in her engagements and her charities, especially anything to do with children.

Kate.The. Great. She will be a wonderful Queen, some day. (Does she become Queen when Will becomes King? I'm not sure how the rules work and know it's different for Charles and Camilla bc of their situation)...help from the Royal experts please!

Camilla will be Queen. There's absolutely no legal prohibition. Divorced people are allowed to remarry and any religious question by the Church of England was swept away with their blessing at St. George's Chapel.

Yes, I meant Queen consort as opposed to the claim she will be a Princess consort. She won't be a monarch but she will be the Queen consort, just like the Queen Mother was to George VI and all the wives of kings before her.

but not husbands of monarchs. Called King consort (not Queen. Ha!) Phillip and Albert were both foreign royals ( but so was Alexandra)I don't believe there has ever been a wife of a future monarch with quite the history that Camilla has, however. Edward IV's wife had been married and brought children to the marriage, but she was widowed, not divorced. All the rest had never been married, at least as far as I can recall, other than Catherine of Aragon--and she was left a widow by Henry's older brother. And I believe Henry VIII's last wife--but she was a widow, I believe. Not one has become Queen consort with two living husbands. That is the sticking point, not contriteness for adultery that the blessing ceremony represented. Part of the 2002 change in CofE stipulated the approval of a divorced person's remarriage in the Church should not condone just such a situation as Charles and Camilla were involved in.I actually read the edict . A difference was made between couples who initiated their relationship after divorce and those who had committed adultery in the process. I'm sure Charles could have got around that somehow and married in the Church instead of in a secular service; the explanation I read was he was showing respect by foregoing such a ceremony and I admire him for that. Or maybe HM put her foot down. Instead of Camilla following the ranks of previous consorts, she will be setting a precedent, blessing or not. Despite that, there is nearly a certainty that she will be crowned with Charles. How people will accept it is another question all together. Personally, I think it is all water over the dam. This engagement of Harry's shows that change is in the air .anon1

The rules in the Church are if you had an affair and then marry your lover, the Church will not allow you to marry in the church if the affair is the cause of the breakdown of the marriage. Lots of things cause a marriage to break down and that is taken into account as well. The final decision is taken only after all the facts have been presented. That's the rule now.

But at the time Charles and Camilla wed, the Church would not allow it, so they had to negotiate and settled for a blessing. As for Andrew Parker Bowles being alive or deceased, that has no affect on Camilla's marriage to Charles or her becoming Queen. She is the legal wife of the heir to the throne and as such, she has a legal right to be crowned Queen consort.

Church of England. At the time Charles and Camilla married, the Church would not marry them because they didn't really allow divorce quite yet, but they do now. They also said their affair was what caused the breakdown of their marriage. Maybe the Church believed that Charles had never given up Camilla. Don't know about that, but nowadays, you can be divorced and remarried so long as the new relationship was not the cause of the previous divorce(s).

One other point to make Jane, and I argue like a barrister in court. At the time Charles wed Camilla, the Church considered Charles a widower and he was fully allowed to marry in the Church of England. It was Camilla's divorce that held things up, even though her divorce was the result of growing apart, as both parties stated in their no-fault divorce. At the time, the Church simply did not allow divorce. But, the Church still held their feet to the flame over the failure of Charles and Diana's marriage.

Having said that, I would now argue that under the new rules of the Church, since no aggrieved party exists, then Charles and Camilla should be allowed to have a full marriage in the Church. However, it's likely not to be revisited. But as things stand, there is nothing barring Camilla from becoming Queen.

10:58, but that's a collective attitude supported by the press. I think the press are constantly relitigating this because they hate Charles and love click bait. They conveniently fail to mention that Diana had a hand in the failure of her marriage, too. The Church chooses to ignore that as well. But Diana's sons have no problem with Camilla, so neither do I because they knew their mother best and what her wishes would be.

I'm not sure we know enough to say that W&H have no problem with Camilla. We rarely see them at anything together and they are certainly capable of being cordial. I've never seen a photo of William or Harry that portrays a hint at a warm familial relationship. As a matter of fact, we rarely see them with their father other than in staged photographs at official events. In Harry's engagement interview the specific members of his family he mentioned were William, Kate, and his grandparents. Other than that it was just "my family" while he was talking. I do believe that when Camilla is Queen Consort there will be those who will have difficulty accepting that title on her. It will be an interesting time.

Fair points, but as I said I base my attitude towards Camilla on what Harry and William have said. Here is an interview on the BBC with Harry who said, "William and I love her to bits. . .She's not the wicked stepmother at all. . .She's a wonderful woman who has made our father very, very, happy."

Mary, there may be two versions of reality. The first when the boys were faced with the reality of their father marrying Camilla. And now, after C&C have been married for 10+ years and they (likely) have had their own experience(s) with her. IMO, the more current "documentation" (photos, stories, etc) does not support the initial (dare I say mandatory?) diplomacy.

I had never seen that interview before, thanks for sharing, Mary. It was over 12 years ago before William and Harry were of an age that they felt comfortable openly talking about their mother. I do believe there is a cordial relationship between them and Camilla for the sake of family harmony but there doesn't appear to be a particular closeness. I also believe that there are many who are not as magnanimous as you are in their opinions so Queen Camilla will be a bit of controversy.

Did anyone expect William and Harry to say "No we hate Camilla and wish she would disappear from our lives" ? What exactly could they have said other than what they said on record?

Just put two and two together. If a woman made your mother's life miserable, led directly to the demise of her marriage, and probably indirectly led to her straying into a life that ultimately proved fatal for her, how much could you actually like that person ? I don't understand how people can possibly overlook her role and say that now they want to have coffee with her. There has to be some moral standards that are very different indeed.

Royal Fan, don't agree at all. 7:07, William and Harry have both said their mother never said anything bad about Camilla. 6:09 I only go by what they say. But judging by the video of the wedding send off where they are obviously affectionate with their father and Camilla, I'd say it's more family than just 'cordial.'

Not going to comment again as none of you have presented any evidence of what the boys are thinking as I have, so I see no point. It's just a round robin.

7:07, you took the words right out of my mouth. I see it exactly that way from their point of view. I cannot begin to imagine how the boys REALLY feel and I give them a lot of credit for being as cordial and tolerant as they are in public.

That's a bit much to lay all at Camilla's feet Anon 7:07. Was Camilla innocent? No. Was her relationship with Charles part of the ultimate demise of Diana & Charles' marriage? Of course. But blaming Camilla for making Diana "stray into a life that ultimately proved fatal for her" - um no. Diana was an adult and her own person, and whatever decisions she made after the dissolution of her marriage are on her. There are many people other than Camilla who are much more directly responsible for that fatal accident.

Children of divorced parents have to navigate lots of complicated feelings about their parents and it's often not as cut and dry as many commenters here seem to assume. At various points William & Harry have probably felt both anger and love for each of Charles and Diana, and both resentment and acceptance of Camilla.

I have an interesting story for this... my mother's uncle had a long-term affair with a lady and the whole family knew, his wife, his kids, the extended family. His wife became ill and died. He married his mistress. The children continued to visit and had holidays, etc. with him and the new wife. But everyone knew how upset they were.

He had a new headstone made for himself and the mistress, placed beside his first wife's headstone, which of course also had his name on it too. Well, guess what? He and his mistress became ill at the same and went into nursing homes. Guess what the kids did? They had the headstone with the mistress' name on it removed from the cemetery and told her family she was not going to be allowed to be buried there.

You destroy someone's marriage and the "kids" will not forget it. Maybe they hold their tongue today but just wait. They are human, they loved their parents together, they loved their mother. We all know how H and W feel. And yes, a marriage can have problems but being the mistress is a whole different level and kids don't forget.

Are the husbands having these affairs not also responsible for ruining their marriages? It was after all the husband who chose to break his vows. A mistress bears responsibility for the damage to a marriage an affair causes but affairs involve 2 people.

And in this particular context Diana had affairs of her own - some of them with married men, putting her in the same role as Camilla.

Have to agree with 8:48. It takes two, and in Diana's case she did the very same thing to the footballer's wife. Remember him? And Oliver Hoare's wife. She made all those harassing phone calls. Diana also made harassing phone calls to Camilla.

9:09 makes an excellent point that I think puts paid to this question of will Camilla be accepted as Queen, and the answer is, Will and Kate and Harry, and Meghan are never going to behave in a hateful way.

8:37, Exactly. They're all about healing, and forgiveness is part of that. I believe what Harry told the BBC. They love her to bits.

8:48 Absolutely agree. I don't think Diana and Charles poisoned the well for them. Whatever they had in their marriage, they were still good parents.

6:57 Is that the fellow from Leeds who was featured in the Daily Mail not that long ago? The wife was dead and he's ill and wants his mistress buried next to him and his wife when she dies? The mistress is still alive. I don't think she agreed to it.

Um, ladies, if a man marries his mistress that is the way the adult children feel. I would question their morals and values if they felt any other way. To say it's hatred on their part is really silly.

I don't think not accepting your father's mistress is "hatred". William and Harry are letting their Dad be with his choice. That doesn't mean they accept her or like her or will have anything to do with her once he's gone.

I also strongly believe this is why William gravitates towards the Middletons and doesn't see Charles as often.

Camilla has maintained her own house, visits there often, and has her family there for holidays without Charles. That is not the picture of domestic bliss.

Mental health? That's laughable. No one who marries their mistress is concerned about their children's mental health. These adult children aren't just upset on their mother's behalf, they are upset on their own. This was their parents, their family unit. This woman caused them a lot of pain.

I would certainly think getting the mistress out of the family grave plot would do wonders for the adult children's mental health. Their mental health campaign is about discussing true feelings and emotions, not stuffing things down.

Do you think Charles bears any responsibility at all 11:51? Do you question William and Harry's morals and values for not condemning their mother who was also the mistress of a married man?

And as far as causing ones children pain - it was *Diana* and her behavior that led to tabloid headlines that Charles might not be Harry's biological father. Do you think those headlines and rumors would not cause Harry pain?

11:51 What a distorted lens through which to view the world. It seems you've truly got the wrong end of the stick on Charles and his children and their families and Camilla and her family. Really, who peed in your Cheerios?

12:44I don't have strong feelings regarding that particular past history. But I don't like the way you argue. You cannot find arguments to defend Camilla so you blame Diana. If Diana did the same and you blame her for it, you should blame Camilla exactly the same way.And in all fairness, Camilla (and Charles)was objectively more to blame for the breakdown of the marriage than Diana. It leaps to the eye. Granted, it was more complicated than that but at the end of the day, she was the victim and they were the beneficiaries of their own dishonourable conduct.Whatever pain Diana might have caused her children, it does not excuse in any way the one caused by Camilla and Charles.

I actually do not "blame" either Camilla or Diana. I think they both made choices that were wrong and hurt people. I also think both women are more than the sum of their worst mistakes and believe that William and Harry are allowed to have complex feelings about complex people, including Charles. Unlike you I do not think he is irrelevant to the discussion. Even if Camilla was desperate to have an affair it would not have happened if Charles was not willing to break his vows to Diana. Charles was the most to blame of the 3 for the breakdown of his marriage bc it was his marriage and his choice to stray from it. Unlike you I do not think it is a zero sum game with Camilla as evil villain bearing all blame, Diana as pure victim, and Charles apparently nonexistent. it is not William and Harry's cross to bear to hate Camilla on behalf of their mother.

Diana did not end up with a married man. In fact, she bitterly fought against the break-up of her marriage and didn't have affairs until all upper society basically told her that affairs were OK and she couldn't save her marriage. As she matured, she no longer had affairs with married men. She certainly learned and grew and matured. Something that Camilla hasn't.

She was also used and abused by Camilla and Charles since she was a teen.

I really question anyone's morals who defend Camilla. To me, married men should be untouchable and families are sacrosanct. Period.

The public will never accept a Queen Camilla.

Imagine Kate being treated like this from William. People would be up in arms, as well they should.

12:44, yes well said. I've read many biographies on both sides and each side had it's defenders, and they all say that in the beginning Charles did make an effort. Diana was bulimic, being so immature in terms of life and relationship experience. She was consumed by jealously of Camilla and the fear that Charles would abandon her. She feared she would be reliving her mother abandoning her all over again. She had panic attacks and would stuff herself and then throw up, and this is from her own description of how she dealt with her anxiety.

Diana herself told Andrew Morton that she wanted to marry Charles because it meant he could not divorce her. She didn't understand that she had to pull her weight and make her marriage work. Everything that girl said in the Morton book reveals her naivety.

He was 32 years old and she had just turned 20 when they married. He went to University and she didn't have a single O level. The girl did not finish the 6th form, she went off to finishing school. He had been in the Navy, been around the world, slept with many women, he had experience in love and rejection and all the rest of it.

If you want to blame anybody, 2:13, blame the Queen for sticking to an archaic rule about virginal brides. Camilla was rejected because she had lived with Andrew Parker Bowles.

I think given all that's happened, Charles has done a stellar job of pulling his family together. And 12:44 is absolutely right about William and Harry being allowed to have complex feelings. And it is not William and Harry's cross to bear that they must hate Camilla on behalf of their mother. Agree totally with that.

Charles and Diana's friends on both sides knew the match was doomed from the start. It was life circumstances as much as anything that doomed them. It doesn't mean they were bad people, or wanted their children to suffer the same. The Queen made them suffer through staying married until finally she allowed them to divorce. She's unbelievably stubborn and if you doubt that just look at how she has spent Charles' youth, stubbornly clinging to her crown when she should have retired 10 years ago.

So the issue is that Charles and Camilla got married? You seem to suggest that having affairs with married men is ok if you are young/immature and don't go on to marry them. Then you say that married men should be untouchable. I'm having a hard time understanding where you are drawing the line with what is acceptable and what is immoral.

Since Charles broke your rule about keeping families sacrosanct should William and Harry break off all ties to him?

12:44, I made the comment at 11:45. You have some good points, like H&W having complex emotions and being allowed to have them. But I think your constant use of ad hominem arguments and opening of new issues without answering the one in discussion just spurs me to contradict you. I think some actions can be objectively bad. Everybody has a choice. In that triangular drama, I maintain that it was a cruel action for a 32 years old future king to marry a young 19 old girl without love and a mistress in the background while letting her believe he loved her. There may be and certainly are lot of reasons for it, not all of his responsibility, and making him excusable but the action itself was dishonest. As for Camilla...

What you call "opening new arguments" I call adding context - looking at all the relevant data rather than the very narrow set of facts you want everything to depend on. Camilla was wrong to have an affair with a married man. But there is waaaay more to the situation than that fact alone which will affect how William and Harry feel about things. You try to justify your narrow focus by pointing to moral rules, but then contradict yourself when applied to anyone other than Camilla, which suggests that your argument for why loads of relevant information should be ignored in favor of focusing on Camilla is weak.

3:32, on getting married, both Charles and Diana are blameless. They were both forced into it. Diana wanted to bail out but her sisters told her it was too late. As for Camilla as mistress, she was there long before Diana. She is Charles' one true love and he is finally happy with the woman he loves. And his sons love her, too. You can say she won't be Queen all you like, but indeed she will be.

That marriage was based on a lie. Which as Kant would say, is an immoral act.For you can only lie if someone believes you, and that entails a profound inequality. So it was tainted from the beginning.Forced or not, if Charles had been a different sort of man, he would have kept a distance with Camilla. He was weak and egocentric.IMO Camilla is a clever, unscrupulous, somewhat insensitive person, with very good manners and a great sense of humour. Diana was not a clever person, somewhat empty headed, unbalanced, very sensitive and intuitive, with an emotional need to love and be loved and great generosity. I don't know if the marriage could have worked in other circumstances. Camilla didn't give it a chance. I don't mind at all that she is Queen one day. She has certainly worked hard for it. But the public "hearted" or mistrust is based on more than gossip. It is grounded on the natural moral idea of justice that lies in the conscience of every man. I think people are ready to forgive and forget, not to excuse. 3:32

I am still learning to love black and brown together on a personal level, but I think the ensemble works fabulously on Kate. The color of the jacket leans brown and has brass buttons, and the boots compliment Kate's hair spectacularly. This is a super classic Kate look, and I just love it. She's always great at casual engagements with kids around. :)

Me too! Kate seems to come alive at engagements like this, doesn't she? Altho, I do think the boots have seen better days, they're perfect for times when she's mucking in with the kids--am trying to imagine her wearing a brand new pair pair of knee high leather boots with 4" heels; doesn't compute.

I have been thinking about that too - particularly with Christmas coming up. If Meghan is at Sandringham it takes pressure off Kate, William and the kids to show up and perform for the BRF family walk to church. It must be nice for Kate to be able to share the glare of the spotlight for a bit of respite.

So happy for another post and another Kate outing. She looks gorgeous as always, but seems today she looks a bit more like herself, perhaps because she's dressed more casual? I've never been pregnant but I imagine the ickiness feels horrendous, so to be in a dress and heels probably just increases the ick feeling. I'm certain wearing comfy pants, flat boots, and a sweater feels a bit more relieving. Goodness, she is so beautiful.

Kate looks really lovely today. She does seem to be at her best dressed for casual country outfits. I wasn't keen on these boots on their initial outing, but they work really well against the black of her jeans and makes a welcome change from the black boots. And that jump looks so cosy!

On another note I think it's just adorable that there is a primary school named after Robin Hood. My home town had a pub named after Robin Hood which just isn't quite so adorable :)

I normally hate the center part on Kate. But I thought today, with a tad longer length, a bit more “piecey-ness” to it, and the fat curls around her face gone, it did look better. I also think it’s a tad darker and that looks better too.

You know what anonymous 11:28? So am I and probably at least 3 million others. In fact, we have a line that descends from Edward III's (II?) third or fourth son. Anyway, Lionel of Antwerp, my 26th great grandfather--according to a popular site.. However, if one relies on that on-line .com for your ancestors, better check dates and ages carefully. There were several instances where a parent or child was listed that did not make sense---a three year old mother; a 110 year old parent. A whole generation was skipped in order to connect to a royal. A line traced from a man who never married or had children, I discovered.I'm not saying your particular information is not accurate. And it certainly thrilled me when a "cousin," Richard III, was found and properly laid to rest. It gave an extra dimension to my Anglophile side. Hey, just think, my ancestors walked those castle walls. Fun stuff. Maybe your husband and I are cousins. Ha! anon1

I think I need to explain my remark and apologise for the tone I now realise it expresses. Ancestor hunting is a fun pursuit and can add meaning and color to history. I was just really disgusted with that heavily-promoted site for sloppy research and for selling dreams that sometimes have no substance. We found a connection, but it wasn't the route the site took. I am sure your information is solid but I wanted to share my experience for others.Probably DNA is the answer if one is serious about the subject. I wouldn't use that particular resource, however. There are several reputable sources for DNA ancestor search. I just worry what use some might make of the DNA information collected. Employers and health insurance come to mind. Information has become a hot commodity.

Again, I apologise for the tone of my comment. Eleanor of Aquitaine was indeed a fascinating woman. anon1

I’m so excited to see the four of them together! They will do such a good job of supporting William and giving him a soft place to land, so to speak, he will come out of his shell. It can’t be easy to be in his position regardless of the circumstances and having that firm base of support in his own generation of of the royal family will make all the difference.

The fridge comment made me chuckle as well. It's nice the two couples will live so close to each other and can run back and forth. I wonder if a larger part of KP will be made over for them as they start their family. Not that their "cottage" is exactly one up and one down.

I also loved the fridge comment! I love the idea that they're familial enough to just drop in on each other and help themselves to whatever. Reminds me of how when I was growing up in the 80's (I'm one year older than Meghan for reference) we'd drop by my Uncle's house and always went in the backdoor. For some reason that's become a real signal to me that a relationship is close enough to be casual. Although now I live in an area with alleyways instead of driveways where that's not as practical.

anon1 at 5:11: "I don't believe there has ever been a wife of a future monarch with quite the history that Camilla has, however." Read up on Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204)! She was Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right and became Queen of France when she married Louis VII. During their 15 years together, they had only two daughters, at which point their marriage was annulled, ostensibly because they were too closely related, but in reality because Eleanor had failed to provide Louis and France with the requisite male heir. Eight weeks after the annulment, Eleanor married the (younger!) man who would become Henry II of England. Theirs was a volatile relationship, but they still managed in the next 13 years to produce five sons (three of whom became kings) and three daughters (two of whom became queens). Henry imprisoned her for the last 16 years of their long marriage because of titanic domestic squabbles. Sadly Eleanor outlived all but two of her children. She was a fascinating and influential woman who knew how to use her intellect, wealth, and power, and she deserves to be known as more than just the mother of Richard the Lionheart and King John of Magna Carta fame.

Yes. There was a lovely Shakespeare play called "Henry II" and a film with Katherine Hepburn-"The Lion in Winter." She, actually Katherine Hepburn as well, is a favorite character of mine from history. anon1

A vague, nudge of a memory of such a photo. Apparently character AND constitution of steel. Imagine what she accomplished while dealing with Parkinson's Disease, I believe it was. A modern-day Eleanor of sorts.On reflection, there are many parallels in that film to a current situation. And lessons to be learned. I imagine some in the RF are being schooled as we speak..anon1

Ha! Yes! Jay. I thought of our conversation. I don't know if they came from the school or the Horticultural Society. We'll see what the next engagement brings. I notice they are still being presented at the end of her visit at times. Still have not seen either Ms. Quinn nor her assistant carrying flowers. This may be a whole new procedure for the royal flower gifting. I notice at the Sandringham church event HM receives the flowers when she exits the church and during the short walkabout. Really no other option for that as she has been arriving last and has been driven to the door nearly.

This bouquet is perfect and certainly not a posy; however, I am fond of the sweet little poseys of pink roses and such that look as though someone must have gathered them in the garden. And did you happen to see the immense raft of flowers the Pope received today on his Asian tour? I can't imagine one of his many guards carrying those around for the rest of the event. What a strange sight that would be! anon1

anon1, you made me try to find a picture of the Pope with those flowers and couldn't find one. I did see him wearing a sort-of lei that would have put my face on the floor if I were wearing it around my neck!

I am not sure William's comments always hit the right mark with me. Allegedly he said this on the other day after the long night out at the Variety when they went backstage:

Kate: “ok what’s the plan?” Wills: “I’ll start that end with the Tumblers. You start over their at Annie & we’ll be out of here in 10 minutes”

Coming from a future heir who was accused of being work shy and reluctant, I think this whole comment is just wrong on so many levels. But that's maybe only me. So I slightly disagree here with William being natural and great with comments.

I don't know who reported on that, but this was clearly a conversion between Kate and William, not a comment to the public. It was the kind of thing you might say to your husband before a diner, or to your PA or your boss before a meeting...I think William is great with comments, he has a nice British humour.

Divide and conquer is something my husband and I absolutely do all the time when it's time to exit events and there are people to greet. Don't forget that Kate is pregnant and it was at the end of a longer event. I didn't think it reflected poorly on William at all.

Anon 3:00, would you please provide the source for the comments you reported were heard? On one of the Kate blogs, someone made a funny joke comment that they could imagine how funny it would be if that was the exchange between William and Kate at events like these:). When I read this comment in a blog it was a joke being made in the replies section.

I think 3am's point was that because of W's history, it looked bad. As if to say, let's get out of here as quickly as possible.

And of course, anyone hearing it would repeat it. People relay little tidbits of what W and K say all the time. Thank God they do or we wouldn't hear very much. Why is it their responsibility to protect W from something he actually said? It wasn't said in confidence. To blame them is rather mind boggling. W's not a man-child.

One thing that I appreciate about their relationship is that Kate seems to defer to him when they’re working but he seems to defer to her in their personal life. That seems to mirror what the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh have. The Duke defers to the Queen in public but in private he’s very much the head of the house. Both couples are a good team. Jane I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

I can see Jane found the original. I still don't think, it was a type of thing to joke with, but we can agree to disagree.

The other thing, they came to show from home and not from their workplaces after 8-10 hours work, and pregnancy is not an illness. So let's not feel sorry for them sitting there and enjoying themselves. Though it seems like it was rather boring:)

I agree, ali. It WAS funny and I had read that earlier as a musing of what William might have said, not a quote. I am sure if we had caught a few of Harry's asides to Kate that left her giggling there would be some rather politically incorrect remarks. I notice sound was appropriately blocked out on the Harry/Meghan interview out takes that had M giggling, and originally not even broadcast. Luckily, Harry's remarks are usually made while he is on a balcony or otherwise removed from stray ears. If William actually said those words, which I doubt, he may have been trying to get his pregnant wife through the end of a long evening. With Harry absent, William may have assumed the Court Jester role. Let's face it: one would need a robust sense of humor to survive some of the royal routine. Phillip certainly has one. So does the Queen. Phillip's remarks got quoted; HM's are probably heavily edited One of the most charming features I have always enjoyed about the William/ Kate interaction is that Kate seems to love to laugh and William obviously loves to make her laugh. Beats "Miss Piggy Face" and I think it is charming.It is all a matter of image and Harry is the favorite son at this point. His edited remarks to Meghan so far have not been shared, although they were spoken in front of a journalist.And we have all once again responded/reacted to the type of invitation I had planned to turn down.

People had horrible marriages years ago. Instead of going back to what doesn't work, why not try something different? I don't, like love and respect. Not making one person in-charge all the time. It's an ebb and flow. We aren't children.

And if William followed KATE'S lead in public, we'd see how many Princess Pushy headlines on a regular basis?

Besides, haven't we seen Kate walk ahead of William on plenty of occasions? And isn't he mindful of where she is? He puts his hand on her back, etc. This is not a man who is "out there" while his second class wife trails behind.

And if William followed KATE'S lead in public, we'd see how many Princess Pushy headlines on a regular basis?

Besides, haven't we seen Kate walk ahead of William on plenty of occasions? And isn't he mindful of where she is? He puts his hand on her back, etc. This is not a man who is "out there" while his second class wife trails behind.

There is no actual quote of Kate saying seriously that's william is 100% in control of their entire life Anon 3:45. The only people who know what happens *or works* in a particular marriage are those in the marriage. Not third parties, not the press, and certainly not anyone who thinks there is a one size fits all method for creating a healthy and happy marriage. Only a child would think that.

Anon 1:50 I think it's sweet. I'm the director of an organization which also has a foundation and so at my work events when I have to be on in front of people or have to speak with the local reporters my husband absolutely acts as my support, follows my lead, and I depend on him for that. He is actually much more social than I am and is good at small talk and he and I have a good set of signals so he knows when I'm floundering or need help. The last time I had to get on a stage to speak he swooped in and took my drink and clutch for me so I didn't have to hold them awkwardly. I think from the outside looking in it could appear that I'm the boss but in our home we spilt household chores evenly and there is good give and take. He doesn't have many work functions but if he did I would feel really good if I were able to support him as well as he supports me.

I get the sense (and I could be wrong) that on a much larger scale that is the dynamic between William and Kate.

Oh, my, how we need to lighten up around here. My husband and I say snarky things to each other all the time when we're in social settings to crack the other one up. We've been happily married for 37 years, thank you very much. Life would be so boring and sad without a sense of humor. I love when William and Kate say fun things to tease each other and, remember, reading a comment as opposed to hearing it with the proper inflection and intent can lead to misinterpretation.

I just deleted (by accident) someone's comment about William that had gone to the spam folder. It was a positive comment! I should be fully caffeinated before I try to navigate the back end of the blog. I am so sorry!

LOL, I think it was mine! That's OK, Jane :) A lot has been happening & coffee does help! :P I just said that I think William is the coolest & I love his sense of humour/jokes! I also thought Kate looked like a very "yummy mummy" at this engagement. She seems to blossom during her pregnancies, once the worst of the HG is over. Love the look of the cake, also. Yum!

Jane, the 'naked' cakes are so lovely, you should give it a try! I've made a couple of tiered cakes for larger parties for family mostly for my pleasure. You could probably do a 3 layer using your smallest pan and just ice it with the crumb layer of buttercream and voila! Perhaps after finals!

Re William, I may be in the minority, but I am so impressed with how he deals with the press. He comes off as honest, and I find him to be as genuine as one can be with journalists who may not always have the best intentions. I think we as viewers (and fans) sometimes hold these regular people ,with big titles in the spotlight, to such a high standard that it can be very easy to forget that all these glamorous events to us is WORK for them. William and Kate attend a fabulous media event dressed to the nines and we expect them to have a grand old time, but I'm sure more than half the time they get tired of being ON and just want to get home to their kids. Anyway, just wanted to throw that out there.

I agree with your assessment of William. I think he has gotten so much easier with the press over recent years. He's happily married and has lovely children and he seems very content. It shows in his demeanor.

I'm not personally a fan of naked cakes. While I love cake, I have a close personal relationship with frosting. I feel that the cake's job is to hold up lots of creamy, delicious frosting for me!

HAHA!..."a close personal relationship with frosting." EXACTLY, Robin! ..the cake is simply a foundation for frosting. I also consider salad an excellent delivery system for Ranch Dressing. It comes in kegs now, I understand. anon1

Yes, anon1! At a salad bar I have a very pathetic little layer of lettuce on my plate to hold up all of the good stuff. My husband, on the other hand, is all lettuce and tomatoes. Then again, he gives me most of the frosting from his piece of cake! Jack Sprat and his wife, I guess.

Hi Jane! You must be live because I got a message from Blogger that someone was "editing" the same time I was posting. :-)

As I followed William's Finland tour on KP Twitter, I was trying to picture Kate completing such a jamb-packed two days at this point. A few of the events with children made me wonder if she had originally been scheduled to do those herself. Not to fear--William came through like a pro and displayed his Dad talents.That Father Christmas letter was a brilliant idea. I wonder if originally the whole family was to go and George would have presented the letter himself. It reminds me of little Charlotte's posey --. What a great moment! I bet he misses his little ones when he is off on Her Majesty's business.anon1

I was impressed with George's writing skills. But it has been a bit since I had a 4 year old. I do remember how important and funit was for the child and how fun for the parents those first years of writing notes to family and Santa. So fun, and imagine having your note as a 4 year old delivered straight to Santa in Finland!!!

I may be way off but this sounds just like something William would say, in a joking manner and loud enough for everyone to hear. It strikes me as typical William sense of humor putting everyone at ease! William and Kate, thankfully, don't take themselves as seriously as the rest of us do!

So would she be there to actually take a train to someplace outside of London? I am not familiar with the train stations in London at all so have no idea if one can even begin to guess where she was headed to. Maybe she was just getting out near the station and walking to shops?

ali, I think I read somewhere she was meeting someone from the train. William? M&H may have had the helicopter. Maybe W. was coming down from Norfolk after his Finland trip. Apparently they do commute by train fairly often anon1

Somewhere on this page someone mentioned the colour of Kate's Barbour. They thought it was brown, but it's olive. Yes, I know you're thinking olive like the military, but not at Barbour. I've just got mine today. This is the classic Beadnell btw, at least the one I got is. Looks just like hers. The other Beadnell comes in sage and black, no brown that I could find. Very comfortable jacket. Love it. Also, if you buy one it does have a bit of a smell to it because of the wax, but not a bad one.

A side question: Where in the world is Pippa? She has dropped off the face of the earth since her honeymoon, which is sad because she wore the best fashion of her life on that honeymoon, and I'm dying to see more. Like Kate, Pippa needs a stylist, but for different reasons. Whoever styled her honeymoon nailed it. More please, Pippa! Also, it was so great to see Carole out and about, even if only in a car - she seems like such a wonderful, warm person, and once in a while her style knocks me out!

...a reminder that the "load more" function on this site apparently doesn't work. Once comments reach 200 mark further comments cannot be read. No sense writing them there. If you wrote a comment after 200, you will not get a reply because no one will see it. Because of this, I'll respond here to SHANNON W. from the next post--thanks for the Pit Bull information. It was an informative article. I had suspected it might be a consideration. I may have been thinking of Rottweiler breed. Bogart's body is yellow lab-like, but his muzzle is not. anon1

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Welcome to the blog! I am Jane Barr and I write From Berkshire to Buckingham. I am an American Anglophile-Francophile (Yes, they can co-exist. :)) I have been following Kate since she began dating William at St Andrews. I began the blog in my favorite Starbucks while living in Los Angeles, CA, just before William and Kate married. See my Welcome page (in the navigation bar) for more about the blog, and follow me on Twitter (@princesskate_GB) and Instagram (@fromberkshiretobuckingham) for more of my royal content.